Residents in Seaforth say they have spent years dealing with rubbish including food waste strewn across their communal courtyard because they are forced to use bin bags instead of wheelie bins. The bins are collected on Tuesday mornings, but resident David Phillips said people leave their bags out days beforehand, meaning seagulls, rats, and cats rip into them, emptying rubbish onto the ground.
Waste littered despite collection
The Liverpool Echo visited the flats after a bin collection on a Tuesday, and waste including broken glass, scraps of food, packaging, and takeaway cartons still littered the ground inside the courtyard and on the road outside. David said refuse collectors will only deal with bin bags, leaving him and neighbours to clean up the items rejected by seagulls.
He said: “Is it down to the residents to clear this up? Who wants to be going through the rubbish? This issue has been going on for a number of years. It happens every week. And because it’s a bit breezy, the next thing you know the litter is all up the street.”
Housing association and council blamed
David said he has contacted One Vision Housing, which owns the flats, and Sefton Council, which handles bin collections, as well as councillors and his local MP, but no action was taken. One Vision Housing and Sefton Council told tenants they could not have wheelie bins due to insufficient space for each property. David said a community skip would help contain the rubbish.
Neighbour Virginia Mason said: “Many years ago, we used to have bins at the back of the flats without a problem. But then they had to move them outside.” She gestured to signs instructing tenants to report fly-tipping to One Vision, adding: “I wish I’d had a pound for every time we’ve reported it and nothing has been done. We’re just at the end of our tether. It’s so unfair. Everyone has a bin shed outside their front door, so there’s no excuse really for leaving them out.”
Promised skip never materialised
Virginia said neighbours were previously promised a skip by One Vision and the council, which recognised the need for action, but it never materialised. “Nobody seems to care. A few of us are left to clean up. It’s terrible, we try our hardest but it’s a nightmare. Everyone notices and asks us: ‘What’s going on up your road?’ The seagulls, cats and rats, they are all at the bin bags. It’s just not right. Enough’s enough.”
David added that he worries about the area becoming infested with rats and that he and others are hesitant to pick up rubbish because they do not know what is in it. He said: “We’re not recycling because we don’t have the different wheelie bins, there’s nowhere to put them. Skip bins would help a lot.”
Council confirms wheelie bins on the way
Cllr Peter Harvey, Sefton Council cabinet member for cleansing and street scene, said: “Our teams are aware of the issues on Sandown Road, and the street has been assessed and confirmed as suitable under our Sacks to Bins initiative. Wheelie bins will be delivered this week. We are in the process of determining further areas that can have bins having completed three large scale phases of sacks to bins across the borough over the last two years. This approach has proven successful, helping to reduce waste on streets by preventing gulls, rats and cats from tearing open bags left on pavements. As well as improving recycling rates ensuring we are creating both a cleaner and greener Sefton. We will continue working with One Vision Housing to deliver the best solution for residents, including implementing community skips. One Vision Housing remains responsible for the courtyard area. We thank residents for their patience and support and are confident that conditions will improve once wheeled bin collections are in place.”
A spokesperson for One Vision said: “We are aware of the waste management issues raised by residents at Sandown Road and our neighbourhood services team continue to engage directly with customers to ensure we implement a sustainable solution. Our partnership with Sefton Council recently delivered a community clearance in the area. Following feedback from customers, consultation with the community is ongoing to find a permanent solution.”
